A Remnant Soul Hidden in Lingering Thoughts

The thoughts transmitted by the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao were not entirely distinct, but Holy Emperor Li Ping had already grasped the general gist of what it sought to convey. "The office of the Great Heavenly Venerable..." "Might sever its connection with me?" Li Ping's brow knitted, and he fell into deep contemplation. "Thousands of years have passed without a new Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang taking office, yet it happens right at this moment... Who could it possibly be?" The Holy Emperor caught the scent of conspiracy. He could only monitor a small fraction of the Xuanhuang Realm at present, while the vast majority of its regions remained blind spots. Faces flashed rapidly across his mind, but none could be singled out as a plausible suspect. "Although, theoretically speaking, whoever can pass the trial of the Great Heavenly Venerable should stand on my side to confront Chuanfa together... still..." Even as he soothed the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao, a resolute look appeared in the Holy Emperor's eyes. "It seems the plan must be moved forward. "All that matters is forcing Chuanfa out by the time the anomaly in the Star Sea arrives." A ray of starlight flew out from the Holy Emperor Throne. The war machine of the Sacred Dynasty Great Qi, prepared for so long, began to churn rapidly into motion. Sun Erlang, who was conducting the final defensive tests on the Holy Army puppets, was somewhat surprised to receive the Holy Emperor's imperial edict. Yet gazing at the test grounds—where arrays of puppets stretched out in star-strewn clusters beyond the horizon—he quickly grew exhilarated and impatient. "To train an army for a thousand days is to deploy it in a single hour! It is time for that decaying Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals to witness the elite forces of our glorious Sacred Dynasty!" Just as he turned to leave and oversee the mobilization, Sun Erlang seemed to recall something. With a flicker of his body, he descended to the deepest subterranean level of the testing ground. Surging earth vein power was condensed almost into solid substance. Hammered and crushed incessantly by some titanic force, its original earthy yellow had turned into a magma-like crimson. The earth vein roared and rushed, lashing against a black boulder at the center. No matter how savagely the earth vein raged, the boulder stood towering and unyielding. Each strike of the crimson torrent only made the luster on its surface gleam brighter. Above the black stone, a beam of starlight poured down from a constantly swirling vortex in the sky, shining squarely upon it. Bathed in starlight, the black stone seemed to breathe. With each steady inhalation and exhalation, specks of starlight were drawn into its core. Layman Qiaogong hovered in midair not far away, gazing intently at the black boulder amid this wondrous spectacle. At the same time, he seemed to be calculating something ceaselessly, controlling and modulating the proportion of power between the incoming earth vein and starlight. "Senior Qiaogong, the grand war may begin ahead of schedule. Senior Tianyang..." Qiaogong seemed to have already received the imperial decree. Without looking away from Tianyang's body, he said flatly, "Rest easy. When the time comes, I will certainly give the Alliance a massive surprise. Those bastards devoured quite a lot of my source power over the past few years..." "Right! Since war is at hand, that lot from the Heavenly Spirit Sect can be put to good use as well." Qiaogong tapped his head. After closing his eyes to report to the Holy Emperor, he cast a transmission order that drifted far away toward the puppet in Jiushan Province. A glint of smug satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and Qiaogong's attention returned to Tianyang, who was undergoing the dual tempering of the earth vein torrent and the power of the Star Sea. Qiaogong could clearly sense the immense power gestating within this black boulder. His body trembled slightly, and a hint of madness danced in his eyes. "This puppet is the crowning masterpiece of my craftsmanship. Even back in the Tianji Realm, absolutely no one could surpass it. Shangguan, just watch closely. The disciple you treated with indifference will surpass you by leaps and bounds..." Ignoring Sun Erlang, who still stood nearby, Qiaogong muttered to himself. From time to time, his hands cast incantation arts that drifted onto Tianyang's form. Seeing this, Sun Erlang tactfully slipped away. While the soldiers and civilians of Great Qi were making intense war preparations, two figures had already departed the pocket world with ease and returned to the Xuanhuang Realm. They were none other than Xu Ke and Master Yin. Master Yin squinted up at the sky, seemingly unaccustomed to the sunlight of the Xuanhuang Realm. Xu Ke, meanwhile, got his bearings. Before the war erupted, they needed to slip into the Museum of Divine Collections first. "This Di Sanmo is truly intriguing. Clearly one of the three Sovereign Emperors among exotic beasts, he chose to join a human cultivation sect. When calamity struck, he didn't hesitate for a moment to turn traitor and join the New-New Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals..." Master Yin said with a sneer. Xu Ke shook his head in explanation. "Third Grandpa is enigmatic; no one can fathom what he is truly thinking. After all, failing to follow Di Yi out of the Xuanhuang Realm back then was baffling enough. Besides, his actions can hardly be called betraying the Beast Taming Sect. The entire Beast Taming Sect flourished almost entirely thanks to the arts he brought. He is a benefactor to the sect, not the other way around. "As for throwing his lot in with the Alliance, I suspect it came down to mere survival." Master Yin sneered. "I care nothing for the rest. If he leaps out to obstruct me when I claim Mister Bai's skull, I will not hold back... As for you, you won't turn on me when the time comes, will you?" Xu Ke replied solemnly, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. I have already made preparations in advance, sending Qing and Hong to the Lingxu Realm. With a forged Beast Taming Reincarnation Wheel combined with the current Beast Taming Sect's cooperation, they should be able to lure Third Grandpa away. In the worst-case scenario, even if the scheme fails... "I will show no mercy either." "That's good to hear." Having received Xu Ke's assurance, Master Yin smiled, his expression returning to normal. Following their plan, the two traveled stealthily until they arrived near Tianyu Province's Heavenly City in the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. "This should be the place—the Heng clan of Tianyu Province." Xu Ke observed the surroundings as he surveyed their target. "If you ask me, we could have picked any family with clearance to enter the Museum of Divine Collections. Why travel all this way here?" Master Yin rubbed his scalp, showing a touch of impatience. "That was the original plan. But the Holy Emperor sent word earlier that some unexpected incident occurred on the Alliance's side. Access to the Alliance Headquarters has suddenly tightened. As a result, very few cultivators still retain permission to enter the museum. Among them, the Heng clan of Tianyu Province is the most suitable target. "Their family enjoys prominence solely because of their weaving arts. Their martial strength is modest, and they conduct themselves discreetly with a low public profile..." Xu Ke explained via voice transmission. Master Yin's gaze pierced the Heng clan's defensive wards, a cold smile touching his lips. "The easiest targets should be those two young lasses, right? Mother and daughter, no less..." "Indeed, Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin. We only need to wait until they step out, capture them, and assume their identities." "The Holy Emperor instructed that unless necessary, we should avoid causing harm," Xu Ke added. Master Yin said, "Relax, such delicate skin and tender flesh don't suit my appetite anyway. But must the two of us turn into women? Can't we switch targets?" Xu Ke chuckled. "Do you still care about the appearance of this physical shell?" Master Yin waved his hand. "Fair enough. I can't be bothered to run elsewhere. Let's make this quick. I can hardly wait to see Mister Bai's skull." The mother and daughter of the Heng clan did not keep them waiting long. A day later, He Xinxin slipped out to play and was quietly captured by the two. Two days after that, Heng Ruoshui left her cavern residence, apparently invited to a banquet. She too was seized in the blink of an eye. Looking at the mother and daughter bound together in deep slumber, Master Yin stroked his chin. "The arts bestowed by the Holy Emperor are truly handy. The Dao-script compass inside this little girl is extraordinary. It possesses the ability to divine fortune, ward off misfortune, and calculate the future. It could count as half a wonder of Heaven, perhaps reborn from the dissolution of an ancient immortal artifact... "Yet with the Holy Emperor's secret art, Covering the Heavens with One Hand, the girl had no premonition whatsoever of the impending crisis." Xu Ke smiled. "Perhaps it was because neither of us harbored any intent to harm them. Let us begin." They extracted a drop of blood essence from each of the two women's foreheads. Xu Ke took one and pressed it into his glabella. Master Yin was far rougher; a slit opened across his scalp, and his True-Self Dao Foundation swallowed the drop. With a rustling churn of flesh and blood, Xu Ke and Master Yin transformed into the likenesses of Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin in the blink of an eye. Their appearances, auras, and even their soul fluctuations were virtually identical. "The wonderful arts passed down by the Sacred Dynasty are truly remarkable." Amazement flashed in Xu Ke's eyes. Master Yin closed his eyes, savoring the feeling. "Only the self that follows the heart is the true self. Ever-changing and boundless, inscrutable to gods and ghosts..." After hiding the mother and daughter away, the disguised Xu Ke and Master Yin flew toward Tianyu Heavenly City. For a cultivator to apply for a tour of the Museum of Divine Collections, an application had to be submitted through the local Administration Hall to the Alliance Headquarters. Only after the Alliance Headquarters approved the request would a designated guide cultivator arrive to lead them inside. In Tianyu Province, Heng Ruoshui's face served as the finest pass imaginable. Bringing a younger junior of the family to tour the Museum of Divine Collections was also entirely ordinary. With no obstacles along the way, the application was swiftly dispatched to the Alliance Headquarters. The response from the Alliance Headquarters, however, was far less prompt. A final reply only arrived seven days later. Before the Alliance's guide cultivator, the prominent figures of Tianyu Province seemed of no consequence at all. Dressed in black, the guide wore an indifferent expression as he casually laid out a few rules to observe upon entering the Alliance Headquarters. He brought the two to Tianshu Heavenly City, which sat among the four central provinces of the Alliance. There, deep within the Administration Hall, he activated a teleportation gate leading to the Alliance Headquarters. Upon stepping into the ring of light, a tumultuous tide of illusions surged forth. Even with Master Yin and Xu Ke's current strength, they could not suppress it. Yet Xu Ke recovered in an instant, for the persona he assumed, Heng Ruoshui, was no stranger to the Alliance Headquarters. Master Yin, disguised as He Xinxin, trembled slightly for a brief moment before opening his eyes. As was customary, the guide cultivator explained the cause of the illusions, then casually asked, "What did you see?" Following the Holy Emperor's instructions, Master Yin replied, "A Heavenly Venerable dharma idol, towering between heaven and earth, preaching the Dao to all living beings." The guide cultivator nodded and asked no further. Following the path suspended in the void toward the Museum of Divine Collections, Master Yin and Xu Ke quietly conversed through divine sense transmissions. Master Yin: "Interesting. I saw Chuanfa floating outside the Xuanhuang Realm. A top-down perspective, looking down on Xuanhuang. The Xuanhuang Realm was far smaller than it is now—likely a scene from shortly after Chuanfa attained the Longevity realm. "What did you see?" Master Yin asked. Xu Ke transmitted an image back. It seemed set in chaotic void, where the exact location was indiscernible. Two silhouettes stood facing each other, their features blurred. "Who are you?" "I am you." "You are me...?" The voice carried a note of hesitation. After a brief silence, the figure slowly shook its head. "No. I am... different from you." The other voice chuckled, tinged with mockery. "This is your destined mission. You cannot refuse it. Face reality; sooner or later, we will merge into one." "I told you, I am Xuanyuan Tuo. I am not..." At the crucial juncture, the scene shattered violently. Master Yin was taken aback and glanced casually toward Xu Ke. Xu Ke felt helpless as well. "That was all I saw. The crucial part that followed was completely missing." Master Yin replayed the memory again. "How intriguing. Once we return, we must report this to the Holy Emperor. He should know something about it." While they conversed, the Museum of Divine Collections soon loomed before them. Standing upon a floating continent, the structure was pitch-black throughout, solemn and austere. Its towering, narrow portal inspired instinctive reverence in every visiting cultivator. After their identities were verified once more, the guide led the two into the museum's interior. The first exhibit they were required to view was a colossal orb of light titled "Glorious Era." Within the orb of light, countless worlds seemed to be born and extinguished. "This is the 'Era,'" the guide introduced with practiced familiarity. "Using a Dao Assimilation Stone as its core, it deduces and materializes scenes from various historical epochs of the Xuanhuang Realm. "In every projected world, a cultivator's survival rate was far lower than it is today. "Thus, though named 'Era,' its true purpose is to highlight the glorious fortune of our present age." ... Master Yin and Xu Ke scoffed inwardly, but neither showed it, merely nodding in silence. "As per custom, you two may experience it firsthand. "Worry not. A lifetime lived within an era lasts only an instant in reality. Under normal circumstances, you will not survive more than a few years in its illusions." Under the black-robed guide's direction, Master Yin and Xu Ke each sent a strand of divine sense into the light of the Era. A short while later, the guide cultivator's expression turned rather strange. The scenario he anticipated had failed to occur. One of them had entered an ancient immortal epoch, while the other had plunged into an era of absolute, bloody chaos. Yet one of them enjoyed exceptional fortune, not only embarking on the path of cultivation from childhood, but repeatedly stumbling upon miraculous encounters. He cultivated smoothly all the way to the Soul Formation stage, became a core disciple of an immortal sect, and eventually passed away from old age. The other was even more outrageous. She carved a bloody path straight through the chaotic world, becoming a terrifying female demon revered and feared by all, with a penchant for devouring cultivators' souls alive... It was only after she committed countless atrocities and the world's cultivators could endure her no longer that they banded together, finally slaying her in a collective siege. "Other eras don't seem half bad," they commented with lingering interest after waking from the illusions. The guide was dumbfounded and re-checked their files. Heng Ruoshui and He Xinxin. *Who would have thought this little girl, so young, could be so vicious?* Just as he was about to urge them to undertake another journey to vindicate the Glorious Era, the two were already walking past the exhibit with visible impatience. The guide opened his mouth, then swallowed his words. Next, he led them through various sections, such as "Heroes of Great Renown," "Vicissitudes of Time," and "Contention of Ten Thousand Arts." Master Yin suddenly spoke up, "We would like to look around on our own from here. Is that permitted?" He wore an impatient look throughout. The guide nodded. Since his task was done anyway, he offered a jade talisman. "When your tour is over and you wish to leave, contact me through this. Remember, keep quiet within the museum..." After rattling off a few precautions, the guide vanished before their eyes. Xu Ke and Master Yin exchanged a glance. With unspoken coordination, they pretended to browse while slowly making their way toward the center of the museum. After a long while, they finally caught sight of the skull resting quietly in the distance. Xu Ke's body trembled faintly. Only after taking a deep breath did he gradually steady his emotions. Master Yin also exerted immense effort to suppress any outward signs of agitation. They walked up to Mister Bai's skull and gazed at it in silence. "I can barely hold myself back from seizing it." "Wait a little longer. The war between the Alliance and the Sacred Dynasty hasn't started yet. More importantly, I can faintly sense that Third Grandpa is still lingering in the museum. In any case, given the clearance level of these two from the Heng clan, there is no time limit on our visit..." Master Yin did not reply, completely absorbed in studying Mister Bai's skull. After an unknown interval, another figure approached the vicinity of the skull. After gazing for a long time, the newcomer let out a soft sigh. This immediately drew the attention of Xu Ke and Master Yin. The newcomer was a middle-aged cultivator with a long beard. Looking at Mister Bai's skull, he displayed an excitement he could barely hold back, much like them. "So it's this kid..." Master Yin snorted softly. "You know him?" Xu Ke asked. "Hmph, his name is Shangguan Shiquan. Back then, he contested with me for Mister Bai's rib. Speaking of which, one of Mister Bai's leg bones is in his hands..." Master Yin said with a dark tone. "Hmph. Once we retrieve the most critical skull, the remaining pieces will be reclaimed one by one," Xu Ke said, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes. "Naturally," Master Yin fully agreed. "Grandpa, what's so interesting about this? I want to go back and look at those ancient magical artifacts..." A childish voice carried over from a distance. A little girl of about three or four walked up to Shangguan Shiquan, tugging at his robes with a tearful pout. "This person was one of the greatest cultivators in the history of the Xuanhuang Realm," Shangguan Shiquan scooped the child into his arms, comforting her gently. Hearing this, the little girl's eyes widened with curiosity as she stared intently at the skull before them. Hearing Shangguan Shiquan's words, Master Yin and Xu Ke's attitudes softened slightly. After a brief silence, the little girl suddenly raised a finger in astonishment, pointed at Mister Bai's skull, and cried out, "Grandpa, look! There's someone in there!" It was like a clap of thunder detonating in the minds of the three listeners. All three gazes instantly locked onto the skull once more. Yet it remained utterly still and quiet, devoid of the slightest trace of vitality. Shangguan Shiquan stroked the girl's head. "Nannan, don't talk nonsense. How could there be someone in there?" The little girl pouted, looking entirely disgruntled. "Nannan isn't making things up! There really is someone! Right inside the skull—can't you see them?" The little girl spoke with such absolute conviction that Shangguan Shiquan could not help but hesitate. He inspected it closely once more. Still, he found nothing. Shangguan Shiquan then mocked himself inwardly; he had lost count of how many times he had visited this skull, so how could anyone possibly hide inside it? Assuming it was merely a child's imagination, Shangguan Shiquan told the little girl to stop fussing. Yet the girl was stubborn and kept shouting insistently. Helpless, Shangguan Shiquan could only carry her away from the area for the time being. Near the skull, Master Yin and Xu Ke were left alone once more. Xu Ke said in a heavy voice, "What do you think?" He was obviously asking about the little girl's remark. "Impossible. I am absolutely certain that Mister Bai truly fell. There is definitively no lingering thought of his left upon this skull. "Besides, Di Sanmo is no mediocrity; he wouldn't fail to discern whether there were any remnant thoughts lingering on the skull. If there truly were, how could it be openly displayed here for us to admire? Hmph, that is the remnant thought of a Great Heavenly Venerable Xuanhuang..." After a lengthy silence, Master Yin gave a resolute answer. "And yet..." Xu Ke stared at Mister Bai's skull, a trace of doubt flickering in his eyes. "Before that little girl spoke, I didn't notice anything. But once she said it, I truly began to feel that something is hidden inside this skull. "Not Mister Bai's lingering thought, but something else... "When I was young, I loved playing hide-and-seek with my companions. Whenever Mister Bai was around, we always loved hiding beside him. He was like someone who could encompass the whole world; as long as we were near him, it was extraordinarily difficult for anyone to find us..." Xu Ke murmured to himself. His words made Master Yin waver as well. "Right, that guide cultivator mentioned earlier that a remnant soul had once escaped from the Era, vanishing without a trace..." "Could it be...?" Xu Ke suddenly said. "A remnant soul from the Era?" Master Yin narrowed his eyes, staring at Mister Bai's skull. "We've stayed here too long. Let's move somewhere else first," he said instead of answering. Walking over to the exhibit titled "Faces of All Living Beings," Master Yin finally spoke. "Although Mister Bai's skeletal remains appear no different from ordinary mortal bones, they are the bones of a former Great Heavenly Venerable after all; they must possess some unique property. "It's just that such a characteristic is exceedingly difficult to discern. I once stitched and raised a mutant human-handed hound. It detested all bones, yet it had a peculiar fondness for the white rib I collected... "It was as if that bone could save it from dire peril." Master Yin seemed to recall something, speaking thoughtfully. Xu Ke's mind stirred, and he said, "In that case, perhaps Mister Bai's skull truly possesses some method to shelter that remnant soul. We simply cannot uncover the truth yet." "Hmph. After all, it's obscured behind several layers of the Alliance's protective wards, so we can't see it clearly. Once we get our hands on the skull, everything will become clear," Master Yin snorted coldly. Xu Ke nodded in agreement, then added suddenly, "Speaking of which, even we failed to detect the remnant soul hidden inside the skull, yet that little girl noticed it... "That little one is certainly something. What was her name again? Shangguan Nihong? When we return, we must inform the Holy Emperor of this..." Had Li Fan been present to hear their conversation, he would certainly have guessed that the power shielding the Era's remnant soul within Mister Bai's skull was likely the Eternal Remnant Thought, which held a fatal allure for Reversion. This energy—presently unknown to the cultivators of the Xuanhuang Realm and capable of being absorbed and utilized solely by Reversion—was the fundamental reason why he sought Mister Bai's skull by every possible means. However, because the Holy Emperor had severed his connection with the true body in the Star Sea in this lifetime, Li Fan was destined never to know, even if Master Yin and Xu Ke relayed their discovery to the Holy Emperor. ... While the two were touring the Museum of Divine Collections, an unusual atmosphere had quietly begun to spread across the territory of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. Because Li Fan's divine soul clone and Sun Tianci had previously infiltrated the great cavern and stolen nearly a fifth of the sleeping cultivators' Dao foundations, the Alliance's upper echelons were utterly furious. A massive investigation had commenced in secret. Without explaining the reason, they subjected every cultivator who had appeared in Tongyan Province on that day to thorough interrogation. The Eternal Immortal Wall was destined to remain hidden from the light of day, forcing the investigation to proceed entirely in secret. Yet an opaque investigation inevitably bred widespread panic. Speculation ran rampant among the Alliance's cultivators. Fanned by the Sacred Dynasty's spies, rumors that the Alliance was about to go to war with the Five Elders Association grew ever fiercer. Just as tensions reached a boiling point, dire news arrived from Jiushan Province. The Heavenly Spirit Sect within Jiushan Province had suddenly revolted. Coordinating from within and without, they joined forces with the Five Elders Association and seized control of Jiushan Province in a single stroke. The fall of Jiushan Province sent shockwaves through the entire Alliance. The Alliance declared a state of emergency combat readiness. To prevent the Five Elders Association from expanding their gains, massive numbers of cultivators were mobilized and dispatched to the border to establish defensive lines. Cultivators across the provinces were forbidden from traveling freely, restricted for the most part to the Heavenly Cities of their respective territories. The Alliance was locked in deliberations over how to reclaim Jiushan Province. Yet where they could not see, the armies of the Sacred Dynasty Great Qi had already boarded Puxian True Boats and appeared across the Alliance's provinces along the White Mist Barrier. They only awaited the Holy Emperor's imperial decree to pour forth and launch a general offensive against the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals. "Senior Brother, when do we strike? I can hardly hold back!" Within the white mist, Ou Shangtian rubbed his hands together, his gaze piercing the White Mist Barrier in tremendous excitement. "Wait a little longer. Wait until the formations in the four central provinces are fully deployed," Sun Erlang said with great composure. "Senior Qiaogong's move to shift the disaster eastward and divert the Alliance's attention was truly a stroke of genius. A massive portion of the Alliance's forces has been redirected to the border, which is undeniably a great boon for us," Wang Xuanba said slowly, idly handling an exotic beast resembling a white snake. "Do not become careless. Master once said that the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals is far less simple than it appears. Those cultivators... are merely smoke and mirrors meant to blind the eyes of the world. "Do you honestly think that the Alliance lacks things like our Sacred Dynasty's Sky-Patrolling Arrows and Holy Army puppets? True victory must be carved out with life-and-death slaughter," Sun Erlang scolded, possessing a clear grasp of the battlefield.